"Recall, electoral promise and negativity: reflections based on the Latin American experiences"

ANNUNZIATA, ROCÍO

Aarau

Workshop; RedGob Annual Conference 2014 "New experiments of direct democracy: consequences for governability and development"; 2014

Zentrum für Demokratie

This paper aims to rethink the recall mechanism at the local level, in the light of contemporary transformations of democracy. First, we analyze the present significance of campaign promises and the way in which some cases of local recall seek to strengthen promises and platforms. In a context of post-promissory representation, is it still viable to recall a representative based on the breach of campaign promises? Second, we examine the role of negativity in citizen participation, as the recall appears to be a mechanism that may enable citizens to express refusal of the actions of representatives. In a context of novel forms of citizen activity no longer mediated by the traditional actors of democracy ?parties and unions?, citizens tend to mobilize for refusal more than for proposal. Could the recall institutionalize this element of negativity that characterizes contemporary democracies? On the basis of studies on Latin American experiences, we seek to provide a conceptual framework for future empirical research.